Star Sighting in Pittsburgh

I was in Pittsburgh this week for the National Academy of State Health Policy conference. (This is the third one I've been to, as a guest because of a grant project we have - this time I was on a panel planning a new project for states to work on developmental screening.) I was working out in the hotel and guess who was there - Jude Law! He looked familiar, then I realized he looked like Jude Law, but I put it out of my head since, well, I was in Pittsburgh. Then I looked around and this woman on another treadmill was frantically trying to make eye contact with the other hotel guests and when she caught me she mouthed "is it him? is it him?" I just smiled and shrugged, but eventually she got up the nerve to ask and he confirmed, yes, it was him. I later saw on the local news that Sienna Miller, whoever she is, was in town for some film festival (and apparently insulted the city while she was there.)

He was smaller than you'd think (especially after Gattaca - wasn't he the tall one and Ethan Hawke had to have his legs extended to be his double?). Web sites say 5' 11'' but I don't think so. Very charismatic and attractive in person even though I've never thought that watching him on screen. He had those grungy workout clothes on that, upon closer inspection, were probably designer clothes that cost thousands of dollars. He answered his cell phone maybe 10 times during his (pretty intense) workout. He also brought down his iPod and speakers ... maybe he expected a private fitness center?

Pittsburgh, BTW, was very pretty and seemed like it could be an interesting city. (Steven was there for a longer period for his association's conference, and would probably disagree.) I had the same positive response to Cleveland when Steven and I stayed there for one night on the way back from Poplar Tree Bay in August ... it felt like a big city, and a few blocks from downtown there were gorgeous, huge houses which I assume (perhaps offensively to the citizens of Cleveland) must be really cheap. The more I visit these mid-size cities the more I realize I could probably live in any one of them. Somewhere in the south would be nice ... cheap real estate, a few good restaurants (which is all we really need anymore - we are in such a rut in Chicago), little traffic, and (ideally) better weather. Like we will ever be motivated enough to move, but the thought does cross my mind.